Literature

Jamamapun

The Jama Mapun or literally “people of

Mapun,” occupy the island of Cagayan

de Sulu in southwestern Philippines.

They call their island Tana (land)

Mapun and their language, Pullum

Mapun. The Jama Mapun are closely

related to the Samal, and they are

often referred as to the Samal

Cagayan by the Tausog of Sulu or as

the Samal Cagayan by the Tausog of

Sulu or as the Badjao or Orang

Cagayan by the coastal Muslim of

Borneo (Casino 1976:8). Related to the

Samal are the Yakan, the Badjao, and

the Jema Mapun. The Jama Mapun can

also be found in the islands of Bugsuk,

and the small island in between.

Cagayan de Sulu municipality today

consists of a main island and eight

islets-Kinapusan, Pambelikan, Bisu

Bintut, Bohan, Manda, Bulisuan,

Jama Mapun were estimated to be

around 25000 (Casino 1976:12)

Some fatures of the main island of

Cagayan de Sulu which stand out are

the two freshwater lakes—Ernestine

and Singuwag—and a crater bay—

Jurata Bay—which lie at the southern

end of the Banga range. The two lakes

are found to be 10 m above sea level.

Near the center of the island lies the

hill Tabuli’an which is 300 m above

sea level.

The origin of the ambahan

If you ask a Hanunuo-Mangyan, "Where did you get this ambahan?," he will most likely answer, "I copied it from somebody else." That is quite probable, for the

ambahan has been popularized by being copied on any piece of bamboo, such as the container for tobacco or apog (lime), the scabbard or sheath of a bolo, a violin or guitar, and even on the bamboo beams of a house. When a Mangyan discovers a

nice ambahan, he uses his knife to engrave it on bamboo, in the age-old

Indic-derived script. Thus, he has "copied" it.

In answer to the same question, another Mangyan may reply, "We obtained this from our forefathers." Most of the

ambahans they possess now have been handed down from parents to children

through continuos copying. Yet there is no doubt that new ambahans are still being written today by the poets or composers, although it is hard to find out who these poets are. A Mangyan would never admit that he is composing ambahans.

To determine the approximate time in which an ambahan was written, two

criteria may be suggested: the subject and the kind of words used.

The first criterion cannot be applied

without reservation, for the subject of the ambahan is sometimes very general and true of any period. But if we find reference in the ambahan to Moro attacks or to

Mangyans still living along the sea-shore, we are on surer ground, for the attacks of

the Moros are known to have occurred at a certain time, and the Mangyans lived

along the shores before the non-Mangyans settled on the island. On the other hand, when an ambahan poet writes of going to America, the poem is certain to have been written in modern times.

The second criterion, the kind of words used, is more reliable and, if used by experts, would be a more certain

indication of the age of the ambahan. By using this criterion, ambahans may be categorized into three classes.

The first type is the ambahan that only uses the poetic language with a minimum of contemporary words. Sometimes

common Hanunuo-Mangyan words are used, but this type of ambahan restricts itself mainly to the use of literary words, i.e. words not used in daily conversation. According to the Mangyans themselves, this is the oldest kind of ambahan.

The next type of ambahan is that in which words borrowed from neighboring tribes, especially the Buhid tribe, are used.

the Hanunuo-Mangyans accept these borrowed words and expressions which found their way into their ambahans. Lastly, there is the ambahan of later

times, in which loan-words from Spanish, Tagalog or Bisaya are evident.

The painstaking study by linguists of the words used in the ambahan may supply the final answer to the question of the time in which an ambahan was written.

Tagbanwa mythology

The Tagbanwa mythology is part of

the religious beliefs and superstitions

that has shaped the Tagbanwa way of

life. It shares certain similarities with

that of other ethnic groups in

the Philippines, such as in the belief in

heaven, hell and the human soul.

The Tagbanwa deities[

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]

Major gods[

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]

•

Mangindusa

or Nagabacaban -

the highest-ranking deity who lives

in Awan-awan, the region beyond

the Langit; the god of the heavens;

the punisher of crime;

•

Polo - the benevolent god of the

sea; whose help is invoked during

the time of illness

•

Sedumunadoc - the god of the

earth, whose favor is sought in order

to have a good harvest

•

Tabiacoud the god of the

underworld in the deep bowels of the

earth

The Diwatas[

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]

The diwatas control the rain, and they

are believed to be the creator of the

world and of the human beings. They

live where the tree trunks that hold up

the Langit ("an infinitely high

canopy"), which is the visible celestial

region.

•

Diwata Kat Sidpan - a deity who

lives in Sidpan (West)

•

Diwata Kat Libatan - a deity who

lives in Babatan (East)

Celestial beings[

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]

•

Bugawasin - the wife

of Mangindusa

•

Tungkuyanin - sits on the edge

of Langit, with his feet dangling in

the vastness of the cosmos and his

eyes always cast down toward the

earth

•

Tumangkuyun - washes the

trunks of the trees that hold up

the Langit with blood of Tagbanwa

who died in epidemics

•

Bulalakaw or Diwata Kat

Dibuwat - flying deities who roam

the region of the clouds, ready to

come to the aid of any Tagbanwa

needing their help

Other deities[

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]

•

Taliyakad - the watcher who

•

Anggugru - the "keeper of the

fire," who welcomes the soul to the

underworld and gives it fire

The Tagbanwa spirit world[

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]

Awan-Awan - the zenith, or the

area beyond Langit; the place

where Mangindusa reigns from

•

Langit - the visible celestial region

where Tungkuyanin sits from

•

Sidpan - the West; the

placewhere Diwata Kat Sidpan lives

at

•

Babatan - the East; the place

where Diwata Kat Libatan lives at

Dibuwat - the skyworld of

the Bulalakaw or Diwata Kat

Dibuwat (flying deities); the "high"

region; the place where souls who

died of poisoning and violence roam

around

•

Kiyabusan - the place where souls

who died of epidemics or sickness go

to

•

Basad - the underworld; the place

where souls who died of natural

death travels to

•

Material world - refers to the

environment; where souls who died

of evil spirits or environmental

causes inhabit

The Tagbanwa soul[

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]

A Tagbanwa is believed to have six

souls in all. A "true soul"

called kiyarulwa, and five secondary

souls called the payu. The kiyarulwa is

a gift of Mangindusa to a child

emerging from the mother's womb,

while the other souls appear only

during the lambay ritual for the child

upon reaching one month or

two. Lambay is any ceremony, which

is directly addressed to Mangindusa.

These other souls are found at the

extremities of the hands and feet, and

on top of the head. When a person

dies the kiyarulwa wanders to four

possible destinations. If the cause of

death is epidemic or sickness, then

the soul will go to the Kiyabusan, they

become known as the salakap. If a

person from poisoning or violence the

souls goes to inhabit the Dibuwat.

Those who died because their souls

were caught by the environmental or

evil spirits - their soul will transform

into biyaladbad and will inhabit the

environment. If a person dies of

natural death, the souls travels

to Basad, the underworld, and

becomes the tiladmanin.

When a Tagbanwa dies, his or her soul

remains on earth for seven days, until

the kapupusan or rites for the dead

are finished. For seven days, the soul

lingers on in the grave at daytime, but

returns to its former house at night to

observe the behavior of those left

Basad

In the its journey to the underworld,

the soul encounters several places.

These include:

•

Kalabagang - the sacred river

where souls meets Taliyakad

•

Balugu - the vine bridge

In Basad, the spirits of the dead live a

life that mirrors exactly that of the

living. But everything is the reverse of

what happens in the world of living. As

the sun rises on earth, it goes down

in Basad or planting time on earth is

harvest time in Basad.

The Tagbanwa rituals

Lambay

The lambay is held two times a year. It

is observed first in January, and

involves ritual appears to the deities

for days of sunshine and winds that

sufficiently dry the forests and prepare

them for clearing and planting. A

people ask for moderate rains that will

make their upland rice grows.

There are two rituals, which seeks

protection for all Tagbanwa wherever

they may be, from the feared salakap,

the spirits of epidemic, sickness and

death. These two rituals are

thepagbuyis and the runsay.

Pagbuyis

The pagbuyis is performed three times

a year. The first is in November, and

second in December. The third is when

the moon can be seen during the

daytime, calledmagkaaldawan.

Runsay

The runsay is described as the most

dramatic of all Tagbanwa rituals. It is

observed only once a year, at

nighttime, on the fourth day after the

full moon of December. It takes place

on the beach near the mouth of the

Aborlan River. The runsay, like

protection against epidemic. The ritual

begins at dusk and ends at dawn.

Phases of Runsay

There are five distinct phases in

the runsay. These include:

•

1st phase - the building of

the bangkaran or banglay, a 3.6m

ceremonial raft

•

2nd phase - the panawag,

invocation to the spirits of the dead

and the nine deities who rode the

kawa on the sea; the burning of

incense on the kadiyang atop

the bangkaran; prayers by the rituals

leader; lighting of the candle and

offering of ritual foods to the deities

3rd phase - the second call to the

deities to partake of the food, which

the signal for the children to dive

into the mound of food on the raft,

and eat as much as they can; and

the cleaning up and repair of the

raft.

•

4th phase - the third invocation to

the nine deities, followed by the

individual family offerings

represented by a woman; the tying

of the chicken to the platform and

the lighting of candles beside it; the

hoisting of the raft towards the sea;

the re-lighting of candles blown out

by the wind; the throwing of a pinch

of rice to the sea; and the voyage

seaward of the bankaran.

•

5th phase - includes group singing

and dancing after the raft has

disappeared

Pagdiwata

At the center of the diwata rituals is

the babaylan, who has the

responsibility of selecting the areas for

a new clearing, placating the spirits of

the surroundings, providing magical

charms for hunters and fishers, and

curing all kinds of ailments. While any

adult can invoke the spirits of the

the babaylan can summon them in

the pagdiwata.

Bilang

The bilang ceremony is the

all-important ritual for the dead. It takes

place after the rice harvest, a time

when tabad becomes plentiful. Every

family is expected to host one or

morebilang rituals. The bilang rituals

begin with the rite of divination, to

determine which among the spirit

relatives has caused a person's illness.

This makes use of the babaylan, who

performs the brief rite

of panawag near the grave of the dead

relative by making offerings of the

betel quids and ceremonial cigarettes,

and promises tabad should the ill

become well. The celebrants together

with the offerings prepare a jar

of tabad with sipping reeds.

The bilang ceremony involves

the paurut (invocation) of as many

spirit relatives as possible through

incantation, and the burning of

the parina (incense) whose pleasant

smells attract the deities and spirits of

the dead. The gongs are played as

the paurut is being performed, and

their music is an added incentive for

the spirit to descend on the gathering.

After the ritual offering of the articles

have been laid out on the mat, the

food is distributed to the children first,

and then to the guests; then

the bilang mat is removed. The

communal drinking of tabad through

the reed straws follows, a very festive

social event that lasts through the

night.

Romblomanon is a Visayan

language spoken, along with

the Asi and Onhan languages, in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. The language is also called Ini, Tiyad Ini, Basi, Niromblon, Sibuyanon, and Bisaya. Specifically, it is spoken in the following islands on Romblon:

• Romblon: the

sole municipality of Romblon

• Sibuyan: all its

municipalities, Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, and San Fernando.

• Tablas: the municipality of San

Agustin.

• Oriental Mindoro: migrant

Romblomanon speakers from Carmen in Tablas brought the language particularly to the municipality of Bansud and also migrant Romblomanon speakers from Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan islands to the following municipalities

ofMansalay, Bulalacao and parts

of Bongabong and Roxas respectively.

Rombloanon proverbs may either be

proselike statements, while

some are monorhyming couplets with 5 to 12 syllable lines. Others are longer,

coming

in three- to four-line stanza form.

Examples of these proverbs are (Demetrio 1991:

Ka tawong marahan magpanaw matunok man ay mababaw.

A person who walks slowly will have a shallow wound should he/she step on a thorn.

Rali, rali marahil mahali. Haste makes waste.

Ka nagpipili ay nakakapili it pasi.

A selective person selects the worst.

Con diin ka matumba didto ka mabangon. You stand up where you fall.

Ang tawong may calisdanan, buot guid buligan.

A person in need heeds help.

Ang kawayan nga tubo, sa langit nagtudlo;

kung gumolang kang tumambo, sa duta nakaduko.

always points to heaven, but the moment it gets old it bows to the lowly earth.

Rituals

An example is a ritual called mahikaw. Usually held during January, June, or December,

this ritual is performed by the head of the family to invoke the spirits’ protection of the family from sickness and other

misfortunes. Before the ritual proper, the head of

the family prepares: seven bundles of

suman (rice cake), each bundle consisting of

seven pieces of rice cakes; seven sticks of tobacco; a young banana leaf; a glass

of tuba (coconut wine); a glass of water; charcoal, and incense; two lighted

candles;

and a piece of clothing used by the head of the family. An important element in this ritual is the chicken which is delicately

prepared by cutting off the head and making

sure that the organs are intact. The

chicken’s head is set aside while the rest of the

chicken is boiled for the offering (Obrique 1983:17-19).At eight o’clock in the

evening, these paraphernalia are meticulously arranged before the

bedroom altar. A buri mat is set on the floor, at the center of which the banana leaf is

placed. The chicken’s head is fastened again to its body to make it appear whole again,

after which it is placed on top of the folded piece of clothing. Four tobacco sticks, four bundles of suman, and three pieces of rice cakes are set on the right side of the

chicken

while on the left side are three tobacco sticks, three bundles of suman, and three pieces

of rice cakes. The remaining piece of rice cake is placed on top of the chicken. The glass of tube and water are set on each side of the mat. Candles are then lighted before

As the ritual begins, family members are gathered around the mat. The head of the family chants a prayer as he spreads the incense smoke from the coconut shell to the

entire room. The chant is repeated seven times after which he sprinkles water, then the

tuba, seven times each over the offering and throws this under the house. He

sprinkles

water over this seven times and ends his prayers.

What remains of the offering is divided in two. The first half is distributed among all those present in the room, who must

consume everything before they leave the area.

The other half is shared with the other relatives in the house. After eating, the head

of the family buries the chicken’s head which serves as protection against

sicknesses

This practice is handed down by the head of the family to the eldest child. If the

child,

however, wishes to end this ritual, the head of the family must bury all the offerings to

signify the end of the tradition. If the ritual is to be continued, the banana leaf is

stored.

An interesting element of this ritual is the gender of the chicken which determines the

storing place of the banana leaf. If the chicken is male, the leaf is placed in the ceiling

of the porch, but if female, the leaf is

placed in the ceiling of the bedroom. The Rombloanon who practice this ritual are consistent in choosing the gender of the chicken.

POEM OF CALABARZON

To The Philippine Youth

Unfold, oh timid flower ! Lift up your radiant brow,

This day, Youth of my native strand ! Your abounding talents show

Resplendently and grand, Fair hope of my Motherland !

Soar high, oh genius great,

And with noble thoughts fill their mind; The honor's glorious seat,

May their virgin mind fly and find More rapidly than the wind. Descend with the pleasing light Of the arts and sciences to the plain,

Oh Youth, and break forthright The links of the heavy chain That your poetic genius enchain.

See that in the ardent zone,

The Spaniard, where shadows stand, Doth offer a shining crown,

With wise and merciful hand To the son of this Indian land.

You, who heavenward rise On wings of your rich fantasy,

Seek in the Olympian skies The tenderest poesy,

More sweet than divine honey; You of heavenly harmony, On a calm unperturbed night,

Philomel's match in melody, That in varied symphony Dissipate man's sorrow's blight; You at th' impulse of your mind

The hard rock animate

And your mind with great pow'r consigned Transformed into immortal state

The pure mem'ry of genius great; And you, who with magic brush

On canvas plain capture The varied charm of Phoebus,

Loved by the divine Apelles, And the mantle of Nature; Run ! For genius' sacred flame

Awaits the artist's crowning Spreading far and wide the fame Throughout the sphere proclaiming

Oh, joyful, joyful day, The Almighty blessed be Who, with loving eagerness Sends you luck and happiness

REGION IV-A

CALABARZON

Cavite

Laguna

Batangas

Rizal

Quezon

REGION IV-B

MIMAROPA

Mindoro

Marinduque

Romblon

Palawan

CALABARZON Novels

During his stay in first stay in Europe, Rizal wrote his novel, Noli Me Tangere.The book was written in

Spanish and first published in Berlin, Germany in 1887. The Noli, as it is more commonly known, tells the story of a young Filipino man who travels to

Europe to study and returns home with new eyes to the injustices and corruption in his native land.

Rizal used elaborate characters to symbolize the

different personalities and characteristics of both the oppressors and the oppressed, paying notable

attention to Filipinos who had adopted the customs of their colonizers, forgetting their own nationality; the Spanish friars who were portrayed as lustful and greedy men in robes who sought only to satisfy their own needs, and the poor and ignorant members of society who knew no other life but that of one of abject poverty and cruelty under the yoke of the church and state. Rizal’s first novel was a scalding criticism of the Spanish colonial system in the

country and Philippine society in general, was met with harsh reactions from the elite, the church and the government.

Upon his return to the country, he was summoned by the Governor General of the Philippine Islands to explain himself in light of accusations that he was a subversive and an inciter of rebellion. Rizal faced the charges and defended himself admirably, and

although he was exonerated, his name would remain on the watch list of the colonial government.

Similarly, his work also produced a great uproar in the Catholic Church in the country, so much so that later, he was excommunicated.

Despite the reaction to his first novel, Rizal wrote a second novel, El Filibusterismo, and published it in 1891. Where the protagonist of Noli, Ibarra, was a pacifist and advocate of peaceful means of reforms to enact the necessary change in the system, the lead character in Fili, Simeon, was more militant and preferred to incite an armed uprising to achieve the same end. Hence the government could not help but notice that instead of being merely a commentary on Philippine society, the second novel could become the catalyst which would encourage Filipinos to revolt against the Spanish colonizers and overthrow the colonial government.

Rizal’s Legacy

What made Jose Rizal worthy of becoming the Philippines’ national hero was not merely his

intelligence, personality, literary acumen, or his pacifist ideals. Rather, it was his patriotism,

optimism, undying love for his country and his belief in his countrymen which set him apart. He believed not merely in freedom but in the potential of the Filipino people to surpass what they were under the Spanish colonial government, and all he wished was for them to be given the chance to tap that potential. And for that, he has earned his right place as a

symbol of what a Filipino can do in one short lifetime.

- See more at:

http://www.joserizal.com/#sthash.cbOh26UI.dpuf

He wrote the novel Noli Me Tangere, and its continuation, El Filibusterismo. He also help to

publish a news paper by La Liga Filipina (of which is Rizal the founder of the so called group). His novels help the Filipinos to gain their confidence and love to their country, and he also encourage them to write novels and study to learn how to write and read. One of the people who was inspire was Andres Bonifacio (A good friend of him, and a revolutionary hero also). He was poor, so he didn't go to school. But he know to read a little, until he read Rizal's novels. He was inspire and wanted to read better and study.

Calamba, Laguna -- On the 19th of July, 1861, before midnight struck, Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal

Alonzo Realonda, better known as Jose Rizal, was

born. Even as a child, Rizal was a lover of literary arts. When he was but 7 years old, he wrote a play that was staged during the town fiesta. His mother, Teodora Alonzo, noticed his interest in literature.

Encouraged by her support, Rizal wrote his renowned poem entitled "Sa Aking Mga Kabata" at 8. He

studied at the Ateneo de Manila University (then known as Ateneo Municipal de Manila) and at the University of Santo Tomas. During this time, he wrote poems, plays, and other literary pieces; he joined contests and emerged as the winner several times. Going into novels was inevitable. Inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, which blatantly exposed in its pages the white Americans' abusive treatment of their black slaves, Dr. Jose P. Rizal decided to write a novel that, similarly, tells of the vicious and ghastly treatment his people had to put up with in the hands of the Spanish authorities. At first, it was agreed that the persons who knew about the project would contribute writings of their own which would then make up the novel. This idea was never put to reality, however, because all they wanted to write about were women. Rizal subsequently opted to complete the novel on his own. And so before the conclusion of 1884, Rizal set to work writing his

novel in Madrid, Spain. He finished half of the novel's first part before he went to Paris. There he continued writing, until he finished half of the second part. He then proceeded to Germany and finally

completed the novel. Unfortunately, for years, there was not enough money to have his work published. It was on March 29, 1887 when finally, the first 2,000 copies of his novel were published. Then commenced the awakening of the Philippine society.

On October 1887, when he went back home to

Calamba after his trip to Europe, Rizal started writing his second novel, entitled El Filibusterismo. The

ideas he had for his novel underwent drastic changes when he went to London. He heard about the

oppression of his family by the Spanish friars; the problems of the Calamba farmers that he fought to solve were never gotten over with. Rizal then

considered the idea of revolution. Only then did he consider the idea. His frustration and anger are evident in his Fili character, Simoun who secretly plotted a revolution against the Spanish government. Rizal's second novel took a long time to get